Garment fold board for small size hand luggage



May 29, 1951 c, DOPPELT 2,554,668

GARMENT FOLD BOARD FOR SMALL SIZE HAND LUGGAGE Filed May 7. 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. C'arles'pfiv ezz' c. DOPPELT 2,554,668

GARMENT FOLD BOARD FOR SMALL SIZE HAND LUGGAGE May 29, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1947 INVENTOR. 2 7 By if Patented May 29, 1951 GARMENT FOLD BOARD FOR SMALL SIZE HAND LUGGAGE Charles Doppelt, Chicago, 111.

Application May 7, 1947, Serial No. 746,466

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in garment carrying unit and one of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved ease of a reduced size including means for carrying a, complete mans suit or ladys dress without wrinkling, the case also providing sufficient space for other articles.

Another object is to provide an improved garment carrying unit having an overall size and weight of reduced proportions, yet incorporating means for carrying a complete suit of clothes or ladys dress or like garment without wrinkling.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In order to make the luggage accommodate a mans suit without wrinkling, it is the present day practice to fold the coat approximately at half its length inside the luggage, therefore hand luggage for this purpose is made with its height at least more than one-half the length of the coat when folded. With my invention I have been able to reduce the overall dimensions of the luggage and particularly reduced the height of the luggage case and yet permit the folding, packing and carrying of a suit or the like without wrinkling. This permits the traveler to carry a case which is lighter in weight and of smaller size than present day cases constructed for the same purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of aluggage case which embodies my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of the case open, showing the position of the folding garment supporting mem her with a mans suit in position prior to folding.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with a suit folded once.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the suit twice folded and secured in the luggage compartment, with a portion of the case broken away to show the details of the folding and the position of the garment supporting member.

The case is formed of two sections l and I2 which are hinged together at I4. Interlocking fastener elements it are secured to each of the sections which are closed by a pair .of coacting slide elements l8. Handles 20 are secured to each of the sections. Along the hinge line 2| of the case, I provide a covering 22 which will prevent clothes becoming wedged in the hinge portion.

The sections H! and I2 each form'a compartment II and I3 respectively. The compartment ll removably supports a removable garment hanger 19, which has a pivotal combination locking member 24 and hanging hook 25. Secured to the hanger is a clip 23 which is slidable on a conventional retaining lug 21 permanently secured in the compartment H. The end of the lug is bent upwardly and is engaged by the locking member 24 to retain the hanger on the lug 21 while in the compartment. The hanger I 9 can be removed from the lug by a slight pivoting of the locking member 24. The garment hanger has the usual top bar 28 and connecting bottom horizontal bar 3!. The top bar supports the coat and vest of a mans suit 3|], the trousers bein draped over the connecting bar. Ladys garments are likewise supported on the hanger, and in such instances, several hangers and dresses can be simultaneously supported on the retaining lug 21.

A strap 32 is secured in said compartment to hold the garment in folded position and a fabric flap 34 secured to the top of the compartment loosely covers the garment. The compartment I3 is used for containing other articles of wearing apparel and has a pair of straps 35 for holding same in said compartment.

For folding the suit of clothes or dress in the case, I provide a folding garment supporting. member generally designated by the numeral 36, which consists of a rectangular shaped board 38 of a stiffened material such as cardboard covered with a fabric covering, and a pair of flexible fabric connecting memberslil! which are secured to the upper sides of the compartment II as at 42 and have their opposite ends secured to the board as at 44. The connecting members are cut at an angle and when secured to the board present a V-shaped opening 46 as shown.

The members 40 provide a flexible hinge for the board, and when desired to be used for supporting a suit or garment, positions the top of the board substantially on the hinge line 2| of the case, so that when the garment is folded as hereinafter described, it will nest within the compartment ll. When the compartment II is used for other articles than a suit or dress, the

board can be loosely positioned in the compartment without taking up any appreciable space. The size of the board 38 is less than the length and width (or height) of the compartment.

The suit of clothes is first supported on the hanger with the lower portion 30a of the suit extending beyond the open case. The folding garment supporting member 36 is next positioned over the suit and assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, with the bottom side of the board 38 spaced from the top of the compartment l3 by the suit 39. The lower portion 30a of the suit is first folded over the board as shown in Fig. 3.

The board is then hinged forwardly on its connecting members on the hinge line 2| of the case, folding the garment for the second time substantially on the hinge line of the case and thereby nesting the complete folded garment within the compartment II as shown in Fig. 4.

The strap 32 confines the garment within the compartment II and the flap 34 rests on top of the garment to separate same from the other compartment. By folding the garment and supporting same in the compartment as shown, wrinkling of the garment during the time it is confined in the compartment is eliminated, while at the same time permitting the garment to be confined in a smaller space then heretofore.

I claim:

A case having longitudinal walls and transverse end walls, a compartment for containing a garment in non-wrinkled condition, the height of said transverse end walls being less than onehalf the length of the garment, a hanger in said compartment for the garment, a folding garment-supporting member of less width than the length of the longitudinal walls, said member comprising a stiff panel and a flexible member connected along one edge to said panel, said panel and member being each of less height than 4 the height of the transverse end walls, the opposite edge of said flexible member being secured to a longitudinal wall of the case to hingedly connect said panel to said compartment, whereby the 1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,866,150 Books July 5, 1932 2,002,638 Lee et a1 May 28, 1935 2,015,966 Ritter -1 Oct. 1, 1935 2,062,462 Levine Dec. 1, 1936 2,176,792 Currie Oct. 17, 1939 2,384,332 Nicholas Sept. 4, 1945, 

